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§ Private Profile · San Francisco, CA, USA
Tellus is a technology company.
Tellus provides a financial technology platform integrating real estate management with wealth-building tools. Its mobile application simplifies property operations for owners and renters. Users earn daily yield on savings via a digital wallet, leveraging returns from residential real estate to grow capital through property-backed financial products. This technical approach allows for both streamlined property oversight and accessible passive income generation.
Founded in 2016 by Tiancheng Zhu and Rocky Lee, Tellus recognized traditional real estate investment was often inaccessible and cumbersome for the average individual. Their insight aimed to democratize property-backed financial growth. They subsequently built a unified digital platform, merging efficient property management functionalities with accessible, yield-generating savings opportunities for a broader audience.
Tellus serves property stakeholders and individuals seeking to enhance their savings through innovative real estate-linked financial products. The company empowers users to build wealth responsibly by leveraging residential property value. Its long-term vision is to redefine wealth creation, making property-driven growth intuitive and widely available, fostering broad financial well-being for its user base.
Tellus has raised $35.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Tellus has raised $35.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Tellus has raised $35.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Tellus's investors include Jeff Jordan, Andreessen Horowitz, Coatue, Contrary Capital, Energize Ventures, Entrepreneur First, Episode 1 Ventures, Octopus Ventures, Voyager Ventures, Andrew Robb, Nic Brisbourne, Ron Pragides.
Tellus has raised $35.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $26.0M Seed in October 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2022 | $26M Seed | Jeff Jordan | Andreessen Horowitz, Coatue, Contrary Capital, Energize Ventures, Entrepreneur First, Episode 1 Ventures, Octopus Ventures, Voyager Ventures, Andrew Robb, NIC Brisbourne, RON Pragides, Will Brooks, ALL Stars Investments, Alumni Ventures, Decent Capital, Vectr Ventures, West Arrow, Westwood Ventures | Announced |
| Apr 25, 2019 | $9M Series B | Carroll Capital | — | Announced |
Tellus is a financial technology company specializing in real estate wealth building and asset management, offering a mobile app with high-yield cash accounts, daily cash rewards, fee-free withdrawals, and property management tools like rent collection and tenant communication.[1] Formerly known as Zilly and founded in 2016, it is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, targeting property owners and investors seeking streamlined financial tools for real estate.[1] The app solves key pain points in real estate finance by combining high-interest savings with practical property operations, enabling users to earn on idle cash while managing rentals efficiently, which supports growth in the proptech sector amid rising demand for accessible real estate investment tools.[1]
Tellus was founded in 2016 in Palo Alto, California, initially under the name Zilly before rebranding to focus on its core mission in real estate fintech.[1] While specific founder details are not detailed in available sources, the company emerged during a period of fintech innovation, capitalizing on mobile technology to integrate banking-like services with property management.[1] Early traction likely stemmed from addressing fragmented real estate financial tools, evolving into a comprehensive app as proptech gained momentum post-2016, with no major pivots noted beyond the name change.[1]
Tellus rides the proptech wave, intersecting fintech and real estate amid surging demand for digital tools post-pandemic, where remote property management and high-yield alternatives to traditional savings have become essential.[1] Timing aligns with low interest rates transitioning to higher yields, favoring apps like Tellus that offer competitive returns tied to real estate stability.[1] Market forces such as urbanization, rental market growth, and mobile-first investor adoption work in its favor, positioning it to influence the ecosystem by democratizing wealth tools for small-scale landlords and investors.[1] Competitors like Compound (DeFi-focused) highlight Tellus's niche in traditional real estate over crypto, carving a space in hybrid fintech-proptech.[1]
Tellus is poised to expand its app ecosystem with enhanced AI-driven analytics for property insights and partnerships for broader real estate services, capitalizing on proptech's projected growth.[1] Trends like tokenized real estate and embedded finance will shape its path, potentially amplifying influence through integrations with major platforms.[1] As remote investing evolves, Tellus could solidify as a go-to for everyday wealth builders in real estate, evolving from a niche app to a full-suite platform—reinforcing its role in making property finance as seamless as everyday banking.[1]